Soccer

Big statement from Megan Rapinoe ... who just let her FEET do the talking after criticism from Donald Trump -- scoring a goal in the first 5 minutes of Team USA's big game against France. 

Remember, Trump told Rapinoe to focus on winning rather than criticizing the President -- after Rapinoe was quoted saying she would not go to the "f*cking White House" if Team USA wins the World Cup. 

Fast Forward to Friday's game against France ... where Rapinoe hit a brilliant goal during a free kick from outside the box (and deep in traffic) to take a 1-0 lead over France. 

Rapinoe has scored the last 3 goals for the U.S. in the World Cup tournament. She has 48 goals in international play. 

#Beast!

Story developing ...

So ... who picks up the check?

Cristiano Ronaldo and Michael Jordan -- two of the wealthiest athletes in the history of the planet -- doubled up for a night out in the French Riviera ... because this is what extremely rich people do.

Ronaldo has been yachting it up with his longtime girlfriend, Georgina Rodriguez, and their kids -- but clearly, they got a babysitter and found some time for a night out with MJ and his wife.

Unclear where they went ... but with Ronaldo reportedly worth somewhere in the ballpark of a billion dollars ... and Jordan reportedly ALREADY in the tres commas club -- they can afford to eat anywhere they want!

Remember, Ronaldo has been sailing around on a $200,000-per-week yacht -- that comes with its own gym space and MOVIE THEATER!

Over the years, Jordan has been spotted floating around on expensive boats.

Team USA soccer star Megan Rapinoe is getting major support in the locker room after going after President Trump ... with her coach, Jill Ellis, saying the entire team has Megan's back. 

Of course, Trump tweeted about Rapinoe on Wednesday ... lashing back at Megan after the co-captain said there's no way she would go to the "f*cking White House" if USA wins the World Cup. 

Trump told Rapinoe he'd extend an invite anyway -- and advised her to focus on winning before trashing him in public. 

Rapinoe and Ellis addressed the media on Thursday ... where Rapinoe dug in on her anti-Trump stand -- saying, "I stand by the comments that I made about not wanting to go to the White House, with the exception of the expletive"

"My mom will be very upset about that."

When asked if Rapinoe's comments have been a distraction to the team, Ellis shot that down -- and said, "We all support Megan, she knows that."

Ellis added, "We know we have each other's backs in there. I think for our players, there is only one purpose, one mission that we're here. Comments, media, whatever, it's always been something that I think we can block out pretty easily."

Rapinoe's teammate, Ali Krieger, backed up Megan on social media -- saying she'll "sit this one out as well. I don’t support this administration nor their fight against LGBTQ+ citizens, immigrants & our most vulnerable."

Presidential candidate Julian Castro says he knows a bunch of U.S. pro athletes HATE going to The White House now that Donald Trump's in charge ... and says he plans on changing that, if he gets elected. 

Fresh off his widely-praised performance at the Democratic debates, Castro told he didn't sleep last night ... and was still replying to all the texts he got!

But, when we started talking sports -- in the wake of Trump's new beef with Team USA soccer star Megan Rapinoe -- Castro mustered up the energy to take another shot at POTUS. 

"I'm very confident that whomever the next President ... and I hope to be the next president ... you're gonna see a lot more sports teams eager to go to The White House unlike we've seen in the last couple of years," Castro said. 

Of course, Rapinoe recently said she's "not going to the f*cking White House" if Team USA wins the World Cup ... following the lead of the Golden State Warriors, who also boycotted Trump. 

Several members of the Boston Red Sox also declined The White House's invite after winning the World Series. 

Castro says he remembers back when he was with the Obama administration, NBA teams and players LOVED visiting The White House ... and he wants to bring that spirit back. 

Donald Trump is firing back U.S. soccer star Megan Rapinoe -- saying bluntly, she should "WIN first before she TALKS!"

As we previously reported, the team USA cocaptain went scorched Earth on Trump during an interview earlier this month ... saying, "I'm not going to the f*cking White House" if the U.S. wins the World Cup.

Trump obviously saw the comments ... and is responding:

"Women’s soccer player [Megan Rapinoe] just stated that she is 'not going to the F...ing White House if we win,'" Trump said.

"I am a big fan of the American Team, and Women’s Soccer, but Megan should WIN first before she TALKS! Finish the job! We haven’t yet invited Megan or the team, but I am now inviting the TEAM, win or lose."

"Megan should never disrespect our Country, the White House, or our Flag, especially since so much has been done for her & the team. Be proud of the Flag that you wear. The USA is doing GREAT!"

Trump also weighed in on the story TMZ Sports broke ... that several NBA teams and the NBA league office are moving away from the term "owner" because some players feel it's racially insensitive.

"Other than the NBA, which now refuses to call owners, owners (please explain that I just got Criminal Justice Reform passed, Black unemployment is at the lowest level in our Country’s history, and the poverty index is also best number EVER), leagues and teams love coming to the White House."

As for Rapinoe and Team USA -- they're scheduled to play Team France in the Round of 8 on Friday ... so they're getting pretty close.

Megan says she doesn't believe ANY of her teammates would accept an invitation to The White House if they win the whole thing.

Team USA soccer superstar Megan Rapinoe is making it crystal clear ... if the U.S. wins the World Cup, there's NO WAY IN HELL she's visiting Donald Trump at The White House.

"I'm not going to the f*cking White House," the 33-year-old co-captain told Eight By Eight Magazine ... "We're not going to be invited."

She's probably right about the second part ... Megan -- and other teammates have been very outspoken when it comes to their disapproval of President Trump and Rapinoe is confident Trump knows it.

"[Trump] tries to avoid inviting a team that might decline. Or, like he did when the Warriors turned him down, he’ll claim they hadn’t been invited in the first place"

When asked if she was speaking for the whole team, Rapinoe replied ... "I don’t know everyone’s voting patterns on our team, but I would hope no one voted for him."

Rapinoe has been VERY political in the past -- she was the first white pro athlete in America to take a knee during the National Anthem ... following Colin Kaepernick's lead.

She no longer takes a knee, but Megan doesn't put her hand over her heart or sing along with the lyrics anymore.

Trump was asked if Rapinoe's form of protest was appropriate on Monday -- and he told The Hill, "No. I don't think so."

Not that Rapinoe cares anyway ...

As for Team USA, they're on a tear right now ... they just beat Spain in the Round of 16 and are set to battle with France on Friday.

Here's some math for you ...

Lingerie model + thong bikini + ripped soccer star + makeout session + Greece = ONE HELLUVA TUESDAY!

Yes, smokin' hot Brazilian model Izabel Goulart and her Team Germany soccer star fiance, Kevin Trapp, are heating things up in Mykonos ... smothering each other by the pool.

The two have been dating for years -- but got engaged in 2018 ... and clearly, the sparks are still flying!

34-year-old Goulart is a former Victoria's Secret Angel who's also made the pages of Sports Illustrated, FHM, GQ, Glamour ... you get the point.

28-year-old Trapp is a pretty solid goalkeeper who's under contract with Paris Saint-Germain ... though he's currently on loan to Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany's famous Bundesliga league.

But, he's clearly got some downtime ... so why not take your insanely hot fiancee on a beach vacation to Greece, right?

There was kissing ... and back rubs ... and kissing ... and sunbathing ... and more kissing.

Cristiano Ronaldo is so rich, he's vacationing on a massive yacht that costs more than $200,000 per week to rent ... and it won't even make a DENT in his bank account!!!

The soccer superstar is currently sailing with his family in the French Riviera on a boat called "Africa I" -- a 155-foot yacht with 6 cabins, dining room, wet bar, hot tub, gym area ... and a MOVIE THEATER!!!

CR7 is on the ship with his girlfriend and kids -- relaxing after leading Juventus to another Serie A championship. He posted from the yacht a few days ago showing off his insane abs.

Money ain't an issue for 34-year-old Ronaldo -- the guy just clocked in at #2 on the Forbes list of highest paid athletes of 2019 ... with an estimated $109 MILLION in earnings over the past year.

Ronaldo reportedly made $65 mil in salary from his soccer contract and another $44 mil in endorsement cash.

A pretty significant development in the Cristiano Ronaldo alleged rape lawsuit -- TMZ Sports has learned the soccer star has been served with the court papers and the battle is now underway.

Remember, the accuser Kathryn Mayorga recently withdrew her lawsuit from state court in Nevada to focus on the lawsuit in federal court, mostly because state court laws were making it hard for her legal team to serve Ronaldo with the court docs.

And, just days after making the move, Mayorga's team had success serving CR7 -- which means the case can now move forward.

In fact, Ronaldo's legal team has already responded to the lawsuit with court docs of their own in which they ask the judge for permission to file a new 46-page document which will presumably lay out their argument for the court to throw out the case.

As we previously reported, Mayorga claims Ronaldo raped her in a Las Vegas hotel room back in 2009 after partying together at a nightclub.

She had initially filed a police report describing the alleged crime -- but didn't identify Ronaldo by name.

In her original lawsuit, Mayorga says she later accepted a $375,000 payment in exchange for her silence -- but now, she wants that agreement voided.

The Las Vegas Metro Police Dept. reopened the case -- but so far, no charges have been brought against the soccer star.

Ronaldo has previously denied the allegations -- saying back in 2018, "Rape is an abominable crime that goes against everything that I am and believe in."

U.S. soccer legend Cobi Jones LOVES the fact the U.S. Women's National Team racked up 13 goals against Thailand ... and says the criticism they're getting is a bunch of crap.

The U.S. women have been under fire from people who accused the team of bad sportsmanship for running up the score and celebrating every single goal.

So, when we saw Cobi -- one of the most famous U.S. soccer players of all time -- we asked if he thought the team took things too far.

"I don't think it's bad sportsmanship," Jones told TMZ Sports in L.A. ... "I don't think any of the celebrations were directed toward the other team. [They weren't] running over to their bench or getting in the face of the other players. It was all internal meant for them and their group."

Jones says the downside to such a dominant performance is there will be a bunch of new HATERS who want to see the U.S. lose ... because "We tend to root against the winners."

Still, Cobi says he wants to see Alex Morgan and company keep their feet on the gas ... saying, "Keep scoring goals! Celebrate! It's the World Cup!"

Team USA takes on Chile on Sunday ... where the Americans are currently favored by 4.5 goals.

Common is sick and tired of watching female athletes get TRASHED by "sexist" sports fans who hold the women to a completely different standard than their male counterparts ... and he's calling for it to end.

The rapper/actor/social activist was at LAX sporting a shirt that reads, "Love Her" -- so we asked about the U.S. Women's National Team getting no love from people upset with their 13-0 victory over Thailand.

Some critics have called the team classless for celebrating after some of the late goals -- and accused the team of unnecessarily running up the score against an obviously outmatched opponent.

But, Common says we should be CELEBRATING the women and lifting them up for their accomplishments instead of looking for ways to put them down.

"If they felt like celebrating then they celebrated," Common explained ... "They worked hard to get there. If they celebrated, that's okay."

Common also says this latest round of criticism is nothing new -- saying "the whole country has been sexist" when it comes to sports ... adding, "We just gotta erase that whole mentality."

He also compared the plight of female athletes to black athletes -- saying they face similar unfair criticism from the masses.

"It would be a crime for them to take the foot off the gas!"

That's Eagles superstar Zach Ertz -- whose wife, Julie, is a stud on the US Women's National Team -- going scorched earth on soccer critics who say Americans ran up the score on Thailand!!

If ya missed it ... Alex Morgan and the U.S. ladies went OFF on the Thai team earlier this week in their World Cup opener -- piling on 13 goals in a shutout win.

The slaughter was met with backlash from fans all over the globe ... saying the USWNT shouldn't have run up the score so badly on such an inferior squad.

Enter Ertz ... who said to a group of reporters at his locker Wednesday that his wife and her teammates did absolutely nothing wrong -- and, in fact, should have kept scoring more!!!

"The first tie-breaker in the World Cup in the group stage is goal differential. So, it would be a crime for them to take the foot off the gas and then finish second in the group because they took the foot off the gas."

As for all the celebrating after the goals -- even when it was clear the U.S. team had won?? Ertz says he was fine with that too, saying it builds great team chemistry!!

For their part, the women have defended their actions ... with Morgan saying to ESPN on Wednesday, "I think it's disrespectful if we don't show up and give our best and play our game for 90 minutes."

From #1 to not even listed ... Floyd Mayweather is NOT one of Forbes' highest-paid athletes of 2019 ... after taking the top honors one year ago.

The business magazine released its list of the richest ballers of the year ... and surprisingly, the boxing superstar nicknamed "Money" ain't on it.

The top 3 spots belong to footballers Lionel Messi ($127 million), Cristiano Ronaldo ($109 million), and Neymar ($105 million) ... and Canelo Alvarez ($94 million) and Roger Federer ($93.4 million) round out the top 5.

Look, this ain't a shot at Floyd -- considering he made more than double what Messi made this year in 2018 (he raked in $285 million thanks to the Conor McGregor fight) ...but it's interesting to see him fall out of the top 100 altogether.

Other notable athletes in the top 10 include Russell Wilson ($89.5 million), Aaron Rodgers ($89.3 million) and LeBron James ($89 million).

McGregor made the list at #21 with $47 million earned (last year he was #4 with $99 million).

As for cash made straight off endorsements, King James ain't at the top -- it's Federer, with $86 million made off the tennis court.

The French national team may be the iciest in all of sports ... 'cause fresh off getting championship rings from Paul Pogba, star defender Lucas Hernandez got a World Cup trophy chain!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... Lucas is following his teammates' lead in commemorating their 2018 World Cup with diamonds -- copping 2 tennis chains and a pendant of the World Cup trophy.

We're told Hernandez hit up Antonio Brown's go-to guy, Gabriel the Jeweler, for the job ... and whipped up the chains with 30 carats each, and the white gold trophy with 6 carat diamonds.

The piece even has a message engraved on the back, saying, "Champion Du Monde."

We're told the whole order is worth around $85,000.

The criminal investigation into Cristiano Ronaldo's rape allegation is still active, the Las Vegas Metro Police Dept. says.

Kathryn Mayorga, the woman behind the allegations, had dropped her civil case filed in state court in Nevada earlier this month -- making some people wonder if the two sides had reached a settlement.

But, Mayorga's attorney, Larissa Drohobyczer, says Kathryn is NOT backing down -- they're simply moving the lawsuit from state court to federal court, where it's easier to sue someone who lives abroad.

"We basically just switched venues but the claims and lawsuit still remains," Drohobyczer tells TMZ Sports.

In other words, Mayorga's team was having trouble serving Ronaldo with the court papers -- but the laws in federal court are more favorable for a person suing someone who lives out of the country.

Per Drohobyczer, they are still waiting for confirmation from the Italian government that Ronaldo has been served with the lawsuit.

As we previously reported, Mayorga claims Ronaldo raped her in a Las Vegas hotel room back in 2009.

She had initially filed a police report describing the alleged crime -- but didn't identify Ronaldo by name.

In her original lawsuit, Mayorga says she later accepted a $375,000 payment in exchange for her silence -- but now, she wants that agreement voided.

No, this is not a shot from "Dirty Dancing" ... it's NBA star D'Angelo Russell lifting his new soccer friend, Riqui Puig, up for his first slam dunk ever!!!

DLo -- a huge FC Barcelona fan -- visited the team facility in Spain for a VIP tour ... and got to hang out with the 5'7" midfielder to shoot and kick some balls around.

Puig shows off his J, but admits he's too vertically challenged to ever graze the rim on his own ... so the 6'5" hooper gave him a hand for his first-ever dunk!!

DLo gets major props for his footwork during some keep-ups ... and even lands a goal in the back of the net when they tested his skills on the pitch.